Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: MillCreek on November 27, 2021, 12:30:01 PM
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I joined a FB group for Ruger revolvers, and some of the pictures of the presentation-grade, commemorative, or engraved single actions that people are trotting out for the holidays are just killing me with envy. I have but one single action, a 4.62" stainless New Blackhawk, and I now wish I had bought some Vaquero and Single-Six models back when (a) they were in stock; and (b) affordable.
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I've got an older (2000-ish) Vaquero blued/case hardened in .357 Magnum and I've got a Blackhawk in .357. It was cosmetically in rough shape when I bought it but I doubt it had had more than a box of shells through it. The Vaquero is maybe my favorite revolver but I have a hard time with the cowboy sights.
I've thought about sending the Blackhawk off for some custom work but I really consider it to be a utility gun and I routinely carry it around the property for the occasional snake or varmint that needs ended.
I've been hunting for a Blackhawk in .45 colt for over a year now with zero luck.
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^^^And the prices! Ever since they were released, I have been trying to order one, or to find one at a LGS: the LCRx 3" .357. I have never found one in stock or seen one in the flesh, and the MSRP is $ 800 (!). The MSRP for a Vaquero is just under a grand. I remember not that long ago when Ruger was considered the value brand.
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I bought a .44 Vaquero for $200. Should not have more than doubled my money selling it, but I did. Classy and fun to shoot guns.
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I bought a .44 Vaquero for $200. Should not have more than doubled my money selling it, but I did. Classy and fun to shoot guns.
I have a Bisley (Blackhawk with a different grip frame) in .45 Colt that I really like. I wish I had bought a new-model Vaquero to go with it while they were affordable, even tho' the Vaquero can't handle over-proof handloads that the Bisley can, those are only fun to shoot in small numbers.
I shoot 6 or sometime 12 nucular loads, switch to a .38 for a while, then back to the Ruger to finish the session with normal .45 Colts. If I try to shoot a whole box of hot loads I start flinching because I'm a wuss. Once the flinch starts, I can't even shoot a .22 well and it's time to pack 'em up for the day
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I was disappointed when they neutered to Vaquero to cater to the CAS crowd. The older Vaqueros can handle the same pressure as the Blackhawk. I won't buy a new Vaquero.
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They are fun indeed!
Top is an Old Model 357/9mm that was gifted to me by my father. Sweet trigger, might get it chopped to 4 5/8 inch barrel.
Bottom is 44 mag Vaquero. It's a handful with full loads, but not near as bad as I expected. Specials is where it's at though. Just wish I had a better sight pic.
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Don't discount the Ubertis, etc...
I have on in .45LC with a 4.75" barrel that is my "grab it when things go bump in the back yard at night" gun.
Because I've shot SAAs so much that aiming is pretty much second nature.
Then again, with the price of ammo these days, it is hard to rationalize making a beer can dance...
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I was disappointed when they neutered to Vaquero to cater to the CAS crowd. The older Vaqueros can handle the same pressure as the Blackhawk. I won't buy a new Vaquero.
I understand that; I used to think the same thing, and still do a bit. The new Vaq is more nimble than the old ones, and it doesn't need to handle high-pressure loads. (it can probably handle more than a Colt or other replicas.) I still have my Bisley for high pressure loads that slightly exceed .44 Magnums.
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I was disappointed when they neutered to Vaquero to cater to the CAS crowd. The older Vaqueros can handle the same pressure as the Blackhawk. I won't buy a new Vaquero.
I missed that - what did they do? Shrink the cylinder to lighten it or something?
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I've got a New Model Super Blackhawk .44mag w/7.5" bbl and a Vaquero in .45LC. I gotta say that I like the Vaquero more. I used to have an old model Blackhawk .45LC/.45ACP convertible, and one of the stupidest things I ever did was sell it. Stupid moron.
One tangent I am constantly irritated by is that I also have a Marlin 1894 in .44mag and a Winchester Trapper in .45LC. I'm constantly wishing I had the Marlin in .45LC and then I would sell the Super Blackhawk and the Winchester. I'd really like to have the .45LC combo in Vaquero and Marlin.
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I missed that - what did they do? Shrink the cylinder to lighten it or something?
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Yes. A few years ago, Ruger came out with the "New Vaquero," which is on a frame that's basically the same size as a Colt SAA, and has a cylinder that's sized proportionately. The overall pistol is pretty much the same size as the Colt, and is no longer rated for "Ruger only" loads.
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I missed that - what did they do? Shrink the cylinder to lighten it or something?
The 1st Vaquero was basically a slicked up Blackhawk with "cowboy" sights. The CAS shooters lamented that it was slightly bigger than the 1873 Colt SAA. I guess their target audience swayed them to downsize it to Colt SAA size.